Generally, brushing, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash have been standard methods utilized to eliminate oral bacteria and bad breath. According to studies, however, bacteria on the surface of the tongue can cause up to 75% of bad breath odor. As such, numerous devices have been conceived to try to remove bacterial growth on the surface of the tongue. Prior attempts to provide a means for cleaning the tongue generally fall into two categories: scraper-style cleaners and brush-style cleaners.
Scraper-style tongue cleaners are disclosed in U.S. Utility Pat. Nos. 5,438,726, 5,282,814, 5,005,246 and 2,218,072. Scraper-style tongue cleaners are also disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. Nos. Des. 367,707 and Des. 285,342.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,726 discloses a toothbrush having interchangeable periodontal devices, one being a concave tongue scraper. The tongue scraper is comprised of a single rigid blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,814 discloses an instrument for cleaning the top of the tongue. The instrument comprises a blade having a sharp, scraping edge to scrape any coating or other debris from the top of the tongue. The blade is connected to one or two rigid arms. This instrument, however, like the first disclosed, only has a single rigid blade to scrape away debris. As such, they do not allow for variations in the topographical surface of the tongue. Additionally, the rigid arm makes it difficult to administer an appropriate amount of pressure on the tongue.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,246 discloses a toothbrush having a tongue scaler slidably supported within the handle. The tongue scaler is used to remove the fur from the lingual body by bending the tongue scaler into a curved configuration and applying a reciprocating motion. Similar to the patents disclosed above, U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,246, discloses a single rigid blade to scrape away debris. This blade must be bent to fit within the mouth opening, making it difficult for the user to manipulate.
U.S. Design Pat. Nos. Des. 367,707 and Des. 285,342 disclose tongue cleaners/scrapers that are shaped similar to a common disposable razor. Each has a rigid handle with a single rigid blade. As such, both designs have every drawback of the above-mentioned patents.
Brush-style tongue cleaners are disclosed in U.S. Utility Pat. Nos. 5,613,262, 5,226,197, 4,079,478, 3,943,592 and 2,491,274. U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,262 discloses a device for cleaning the surface of the tongue comprising an elongated handle having a brush head attached to one end thereof. The handle has a slight angle. The handle, however, is rigid and does not allow for a variable pressure to be exerted on the tongue. Further, the brush head has a substantially flat surface and merely acts to brush food and debris from the surface of the tongue, similar to a toothbrush.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,197 discloses a tongue cleaning brush/scraper having a semi-rigid scraper and a plurality of short bristles. Like the above-mentioned scraper-style cleaners, this device only utilizes a single scraper. Further, the entire device is flat making it difficult for the user to properly clean the entire surface of the tongue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,478 discloses a tongue brush. The brush, however, is large and cumbersome. Furthermore, the handle is larger yet, and awkward to maneuver. As such, this device may promote gaging and would, therefore, likely be ineffective.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,592 discloses a tongue cleaning device. This device is comprised of a VELCRO hook material attached to a flat member. However, this device only contains a single cleaning area. Also, like the devices described above, this device has the same deficiency in that it employs a flat-rigid handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,491,274 discloses a tongue cleaning device for cleaning the taste buds of the tongue and for the application of mouth wash. The device is comprised of a cleaning sponge which is of a porous-resilient nature and preferably formed from a single piece of rubber. The handle is a single rigid piece.
The above-described prior oral cleaning devices do not provide a means for collecting any saliva, food particles and bacteria that may be removed from the tongue during use of the apparatus. Thus, use of the above-described prior devices can be quite messy. Accordingly, the abovedescribed prior devices can usually be used only in limited circumstances and environments. In many instances, the prior devices are large, bulky and expensive to manufacture. The present invention is designed to solve these and other problems by providing a portable, disposable (either completely or partially) oral cleaning apparatus having an absorbent pad to catch saliva, food particles and bacteria as they are removed from the tongue.